CHAPTER 62

Showtime!

“King uses Pam spray as his posing oil of choice. He also has a backstage routine he follows before going onstage.”

– MuscleMag International Precontest Report

The big moment has arrived. In less than 24 hours you’re going to compete in your first bodybuilding contest. The years of training and months of dieting have left you in the best shape of your life. All three heads of your deltoids are clearly visible and you can separate your quads into four slabs of meat at a second’s notice. Your pecs have striations and cross striations and your abs remind your grandmother of an old-time washboard. Your posing routine is poetry in motion and you just can’t wait to do battle. Well done. You’re already a winner in my book.

YOUR CONTEST KIT

Before taking you through the contest from weigh-in to post-contest pig-out, I need you to take a few minutes and put together a gym bag containing some items that will be invaluable on contest day. We’ll call it your contest kit. While some of the items may seem common sense, you’d be surprised what gets omitted in the excitement and confusion the day or two before the show.

Two Pairs of Posing Trunks: The first item to pack is really two items. While I discussed this before it deserves a second mention. Your most important piece of clothing on contest day is your posing trunks. Given their importance it only makes sense to have two pairs. Wear one pair to the venue and have another pair in your gym bag.

“It was the greatest feeling in my life and I hope it was not the last win of my career. To work so hard and finally get that reward is beyond words. Now I know why Ronnie Coleman cries every time he wins the Olympia.”

– Markus Ruhl, IFBB pro, on his Toronto Pro International win.

Photo by Jason Breeze

Posing Oil: Include at least one bottle of oil. If you’re the generous type and want to make friends, bring an extra bottle. Who knows maybe some fitness or figure contestant will have forgot hers!

Tanning Lotion: Even though you’ll have on at least three coats of tanning lotion, the sweat and clothes will rub some of it off. Bring along a bottle of the instant tan to touch up any light areas that appear on your body.

Towels: The odds of towels being supplied backstage are slim, so bring along a few. It makes sense to use cheap towels, as quick-tan stains are extremely difficult to remove. Bring at least one large towel to stand on and one or two smaller towels for wiping off sweat.

Warmup Clothes: You may be under the hot lights onstage, but you’ll be standing around throughout the women’s fitness and figure and throughout all the other weight classes. Most backstage areas are cold, so make sure to bring along some warmup clothes. A tracksuit is best. Besides keeping you warm, the extra clothes give the added psychological benefit of keeping your physique hidden from the other competitors until the last minute (more on psychological warfare later).

Portable Exercise Equipment: Some contest venues may have a few light dumbells backstage, but most won’t. Therefore it’s up to the contestants themselves to bring something along. Probably the most convenient is a chest-expander spring set (a misleading name, since the springs can be used to train just about every muscle but the chest!). These sets are small, light, and easy to stuff into a gym bag.

A Small Toiletry Kit Containing:

• Soap
• Shampoo
• Deodorant
• Brush or comb
• Small mirror
• Small hair dryer
• Toothbrush and toothpaste

Other items to consider are rubbing alcohol to remove oil, bottled water, slippers or sandals, and a lock, in case lockers are provided.

Luke Wood watches the scale reading at weigh-in.
Photo of Luke Wood by Irvin Gelb

WEIGH-IN

The weigh-in for most bodybuilding federations is Friday night. If you’re not familiar with the area, you may want to get directions beforehand and give yourself extra time to find your way there. It’s far better to be too early than too late. At the weigh-in a representative from the federation will go through the rules and procedures for the show and then give competitors an opportunity to ask questions. Don’t be shy. If there’s something you’re not sure of, ask. Once it seems everyone understands how the contest will proceed, you’ll be weighed. If you’re over your weight class limit by a couple of pounds most federations will give you an hour to lose it. Some bodybuilders hit the sauna. Others who had an idea that they’d be over will rely on diuretics to shed the weight in the form of water. If you’re still over at the second weigh-in you’ll just have to be content to go in at the bottom of the next weight class. If you’re ripped then you still have a fighting chance, but odds are you’ll be giving up 10 to 15 pounds against guys just as hard as you are. Such are the perils of mistiming your dieting or water loss.

After the weigh-in I strongly suggest that you head back to wherever you’re staying and turn in for the night. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow and you’ll need all the rest you can get. Save the late night partying for Saturday night after the show. Oh, and don’t forget to set the alarm clock.

THE PREJUDGING

As most federations start the prejudging around 10, you’ll be required to be there by 9. This means that you should get up around 7 to give yourself time to prepare. As you’ll probably be wearing instant tan, I suggest giving the shower a pass. In fact you probably won’t shower from when you put on your first coat on Thursday or Friday night, to after the evening show Saturday night. By all means eat some breakfast, but keep it light. You’ll want full control over your abs in a couple of hours and a stomach full of food is not that easy to flex. A piece of fruit and a glass of juice or coffee will probably suffice. Before you leave go through your checklist to see that you have everything you need. At times like this it wouldn’t hurt to have a second person double check for you.

Victor Martinez pumps up his biceps before hitting the stage.
Photo of Victor Martinez by Irvin Gelb

If you happen to be in one of the heavier weight classes you can watch some of the women’s events and lighter men’s classes from the audience. This probably won’t be an option at the evening show as they tend to be sold out. Likewise, if you’re in an earlier show you can probably watch the heavier divisions from the audience as well.

The prejudging will be conducted by weight class, with the men’s and women’s light or bantamweights coming on first and then progressing upwards. A women’s figure contest will usually be divided into tall and short classes and fit in somewhere between the light and middleweight bodybuilding classes. Procedures vary from federation to federation, so don’t be surprised if the order of judging is different. To help the competitors out, most promoters will have someone organizing the classes and making sure everyone receives enough warning to go backstage and get ready.

Also popular nowadays are guest posers. At the very least you will have a top national competitor as guest poser, but there’s a good chance it will be a top pro such as Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman or Gustavo Badell. As these guys will easily be the largest bodybuilders in the venue, most promoters put them on toward the end of the show. It’s bad enough that the light heavyweights or heavyweights have to follow one of these behemoths but it would look ridiculous to have 290 pounds of Jay Cutler come and then have the bantamweights stroll on stage!

PUMPING UP

Once you head backstage, immediately strip down to your posing trunks and start getting ready. The first order of business is to pump up. For those new to the sport, pumping up is the practice of performing a few high-rep sets of different exercises to force blood into the muscles. While a few bodybuilders find that flexing alone is sufficient, most bodybuilders like to use some light weights to get a good pump going before hitting the stage.

The primary advantage to pumping up is that it enlarges the muscles to a certain degree. Now I’m not talking inches here, but it’s no problem increasing your arm from 17 ½ to 18 inches. Likewise a good lat pump will make you feel ready to take on Ronnie Coleman.

As you might expect, pumping up has a few disadvantages as well. A muscle fully engorged with blood is sometimes harder to control than an unpumped muscle. Also, fully pumped muscles may lose some sharpness and definition because of the extra blood. You also have to consider the process of pumping up and its impact on your energy level. You’ll need all the energy you can manage when posing onstage. It would be pretty big mistake to perform a full workout backstage before you go on.

With regards to which muscles to pump up, the consensus is to pump up your weakest muscles. Years ago the biceps and chest received the most pumping but in most bodybuilders these muscles are overdeveloped to begin with. It makes more sense to try and enlarge your weaker areas to help balance out your physique.

Photo of Mustafa Mohammad by Irvin Gelb

Three muscles you don’t want to pump up are the calves, forearms and abdominals. The calves and forearms won’t pump up that much, and the calves are notorious for cramping, especially onstage when posing. Given your dehydrated state the last thing you want to do is give the calves another reason to cramp up. As for the abdominals, this is not a muscle group you want enlarged. Besides, pumping up the abs makes it much more difficult to flex and control them.

The following muscles are my recommendations for pumping up before hitting the stage. Try to hit as many poses as possible between sets. This helps speed the influx of blood to the muscles as well as loosen you up for the show.

The Shoulders: One of the statements you’ll never hear at a bodybuilding contest is: “His shoulders are too wide.” If light dumbells are supplied backstage, do a few sets of front, side and bent-over raises. Getting a good pump in the shoulders will not only make your shoulders appear larger, it will also bring out the separation between the three deltoid heads. If there are no dumbells around, break out your chest expander set and anchor one handle to the floor by standing on it. From here you can do one-arm front and side raises just the same as if in the gym using a cable machine. To hit the rear shoulders, grab a handle in each hand, bend over slightly at the waist and pull outwards until your arms are locked out straight. Great rear deltoids are rarely seen at beginner or intermediate-level contests. If you’ve got them, you want to get a good pump in there to show the judges.

The Lats: The V-taper is perhaps the bodybuilder’s trademark. Even in clothes the classic inverted triangle should be evident. To really give the lats a good pump you can do one-arm dumbell rows or barbell rows if a light barbell is available. While there probably won’t be a chin-up bar, an exposed overhead pipe may work. Just make sure it will support your weight before grabbing hold. The last thing you want is to flood out the backstage area! The most common lat-pumping exercise is the towel pull. As the name suggests, you have your partner hold one end of a towel while you pull it toward you.

Chest and Triceps: Dumbell presses are great for these muscles if they’re available. If not, hit the floor and bang out 15 or 20 push-ups. To add variety to the exercise try doing push-ups with your feet or hands elevated. If there are a couple of chairs available (or two benches) you can do dips.

Thighs: As most thigh exercises require a considerable amount of weight, there’s not much you can do backstage. One option is sissy squats. Simply grab a stationary upright, lean slightly backwards, and squat down. You can also do dumbell squats. Don’t go overboard training the legs. As I said earlier, you’ll need most of your energy for the contest.

Biceps: Your biceps will probably get a good pump from working your lat muscles. They’ll also be heavily stimulated from all the arm shots you’re no doubt hitting every couple of minutes. If you want to get extra blood in there you can use your spring set again. Stand on one handle with your foot, as before, and perform one-arm cable curls.

POST PUMP-UP

Once you’re fully pumped up, have your assistant apply your oil. Make sure it’s applied evenly over your entire body. Don’t put it on too thick, as you’ll be making a mess backstage as well as looking too shiny and reflective onstage. You’ll probably be given a five-minute warning, so use it wisely. Make a few quick checks in the mirror. Is your entire body oiled? Are there any glaring light patches on your body? Is your hair neat and tidy? Is your competitor number pinned to your trunks? This is a must, as the judges won’t call you by name. From now on you’re competitor number such and such and you must have your number memorized. You’ll look stupid just standing there as the head judge calls out your number three or four times.

One of the first things you’ll notice when you walk out onstage is how bright the lights are. It will take a few minutes before your eyes become fully accustomed to the brightness. Try to avoid staring at the lights. This is not only dangerous for your eyes, but could make you dizzy. If there’s one advantage to such brilliance it’s that you’ll only be able to see the first few rows. It will be far less stressful to see only a couple of dozen people in the audience as opposed to many hundreds or thousands.

Once you’re standing in line onstage it’s only a matter of following the instructions of the head judge. You’ll first go through the mandatory poses and then the various comparisons will be made. If you find yourself involved in a number of comparisons you can be reasonably confident that you’re in the top three to five. Who knows, you might even be battling for the top spot!

POST-PREJUDGING

Once the prejudging has ended you’ll want to spend the rest of the day in an appropriate fashion. The first order of priority is replacing your lost fluids. That bottle of water I told you to pack earlier will now be worth its weight in gold. Don’t make the mistake of gulping down the whole bottle all at once. This could give you cramps. Sip it slowly over the next hour or so. The only exception is if you are severely dehydrated from trying to make a weight class using the sauna or other water-loss techniques. In this case try consuming the bottle in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Before putting on your clothes either take a quick shower if facilities are available or wipe the excess sweat and oil off your body with an old towel. You’ll want to use an old towel because oil and instant tan stains are virtually impossible to remove. The same goes for your clothes. It makes sense to wear the oldest in your closet. If you don’t have anything that you consider disposable, head to a thrift store and you can no doubt pick up an old pair of sweats for a few bucks.

After you get dressed check with someone to confirm when you have to return for the evening show. As with the prejudging it will probably be an hour before curtain time but check to make sure. Also keep in mind that there will be a much bigger crowd at the evening show and you might have difficulty finding a parking spot.

The next four to six hours are yours to do with as you please. Most competitive bodybuilders go for a quick meal to recharge their energy levels. Nothing major, just a light snack containing a few carbs, maybe a baked potato or some steamed rice. The goal is to alleviate your hunger pangs without giving you a bloated-looking stomach. If there is a guest poser he may give a seminar during the afternoon. By all means attend if you feel up to it. For the sake of $10 to $20 you can listen as one of the sport’s top superstars reveals his training, nutritional and competitive strategies.

If you’re really dragged out I suggest going back to your home or hotel room and taking a nap. As you’ll be dragged out from both the prejudging and lack of sleep the night before, I strongly urge you to set the alarm clock or have a trusted friend call you after an hour or two. Don’t sleep any longer than this or your body could slip into deep sleep and when you wake up you’ll need a couple of hours to fully wake up. The goal is to sleep long enough to recharge your batteries without shutting your body down for the day.

As soon as you wake up, lie back for a few minutes and visualize the morning’s proceedings. How did your posing routine go? Was the audience’s reaction favorable or subdued? Who do you think are your closest competitors? From watching them backstage and onstage you probably know where you stack up bodypart by bodypart. Keep this in mind if you make it to the posedown.

Give yourself at least two hours to prepare for the evening show. Before you leave you can use the same checklist you used in the morning. Once you and your assistant have determined that you’re ready, leave for the contest venue.

THE EVENING SHOW

“This is your night. Look at those abs! Enjoy the attention. Share the camaraderie of your fellow competitors. You all have a common bond. Revel in fact that this is not something that just anyone can do.”

– Nelson Montana, regular MuscleMag International contributor

There’s no need to go into detail on the evening show. With the exception of a few minor additions such as one or two appearances by the guest poser and perhaps some sort of demonstration by a local martial arts or gymnastics club, it’s identical to the prejudging. The first three rounds will be the same, and even though most of the placings will have been determined in the morning, you may have to go through comparison call outs again. Once the top three to five competitors in each class have been determined, they’ll be given a minute to “flex off” against one another in the posedown.

Perhaps the most important aspect to the whole evening show is your reaction to your placing. Obviously if you win all I have to say is congratulations and well done. Hold up your winner’s trophy with style and grace, pose for a few photos for the local press and then exit the stage. If you place second or third or don’t even make the top three, accept the results wholeheartedly. Even if you and a majority of the audience felt that you were robbed, don’t make a scene. Don’t stand there with a peculiar look on your face, give the judges the finger, or throw your trophy backstage. Everyone loves a great sportsman and hates a sore loser. The best example I can use to illustrate this was Tom Platz’s reaction to placing third at the 1981 Mr. Olympia. By all accounts Tom was at his all-time best that day. Conversely the winner, Franco Columbu, was woefully deficient in the leg department. Lesser bodybuilders would have stormed off the stage cursing and swearing. But not Tom. True to the gentleman he was, Tom accepted the results with professionalism and congratulated the winner. It was this stellar display of sportsmanship that garnered Tom thousands of new fans and no doubt contributed greatly to his future success in business.

The lesson to be learned here is that the judges are only human and occasionally they make mistakes. One of the best guides for this is the audience’s response to the placings. The occasional boo is to be expected, but if the whole audience erupts in one negative chorus, then chances are the judges missed one. I’ll be the first to admit that in a few cases politics may determine the placings – but very rarely and certainly not as often as is rumored. If you are the victim of such blatant injustice then you have my sympathy. It’s not fair to you (or any other wrongly placed competitor) to go through the rigors of pre-contest training and dieting only to lose because someone else is a friend of the head judge. As I said, the odds of this happening are very slim but if it happens it happens. Jumping up and down and cursing a blue streak at the judges won’t change things. In fact it may ruin your chances the next time you compete, since at the local and state levels the judging panels usually consist of the same individuals. They have long memories for competitors who insult their ancestry or give them the finger. My advice is to take a page from Tom Platz’s book and accept the results with class. Afterward in private you can vent to your friends and channel that excess negative energy towards your training. Make it so next year you’re in such outstanding shape that the judges have no choice but to award you first place.

Photos of Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler by Ralph DeHaan